


Miles From Where You Are

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Demons and Angels, Gen, Light Angst, Talking, always plotting, church
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-08-18 14:30:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8165252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: Not all games are fun. Not all truths are free.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Set mid-season four. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2009.

Ruby watched the angel. His head was bowed in prayer and he was whispering a litany that she couldn’t quite make out. The sunlight pouring in through the stained glass window danced across his face, making him look even more beautiful than usual.

The angel was a being of pure light and goodness and for the first time Ruby wondered what it must be like to stare upon his true form.

****

Castiel kneeled by the altar of the church, his head bowed in prayer. The words tripped off his tongue awkwardly, but he persevered. He was well aware that the demon was in the shadows, watching him. As the sunlight poured in through the stained glass window, momentarily dazzling his vessels simple vision, he wondered if it was just his imagination, or if the demon really did shrink back in to the darkness.

The demon was a being of pure darkness and for the first time Castiel wondered what it would be like to stare upon her true, non-diluted form.

==========

“You are in a House of God,” Castiel said, his eyes still closed. He could sense the edges of Ruby’s demon essence bristling deep within her human shell and felt something very akin to pleasure at having surprised her.

“Well, you know, I got me some mojo,” Ruby replied, stepping out of the shadows, her limbs suffused with a confident swagger that was fooling no one.

She walked over to stand beside his kneeling form and watched with growing curiosity as he seemed to ignore her presence. Not that there was much she could do against an angel – so far her research hadn’t come up with any way to kill one, apart from maybe a little angel on angel action. But she was having enough trouble setting Dean and Sam against each other, adding angels to the mix might prove a little harder, even for her.

“What are you doing here?” Castiel finally asked, standing up and turning around. Ruby shrugged.

“Could ask you the same thing.”

“An angel in a church is hardly noteworthy.”

“You think demon’s don’t worship too?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

Castiel’s forehead puckered, as if he were becoming aware that he was being mocked. “Not our Creator.”

“Lucifer’s as much my creator as anyone.”

“You haven’t even seen him,” Castiel said.

Ruby raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “At least I’m sure he exists.”

Castiel’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but the truth of her words pierced him far deeper than any knife could have. Demon, thy name is doubt.

Ruby huffed a laugh and shook her head. “Poor little angel. Don’t know his Daddy. And no Momma to speak of. Must be rough.”

Castiel clenched his fists, wondering what it would be like to smack that smug grin off of her face. And then he realised where he was, and what he was, and the cracks in his Grace grew larger.

Ruby smiled. Angel baiting was better than Dean baiting.

“What are you doing here?” Castiel asked snappishly. He had no time for her nonsense today. If he had not been forbidden from harming her he would have sent her gratefully back to Hell.

Ruby shrugged and stepped closer to the angel, and then peered up at the marble statue of Jesus. “What’s he like?”

Castiel was momentarily too stunned to form a coherent word. “You’re enquiring about…”

“Jesus. What’s he like? Does he still float around with his Dad, or what?” Castiel turned to stare at her and she started laughing. “Oh come on, you should have seen your face.”

Castiel began to walk away from her, back into the sunlight. He’d momentarily found the comfort he had wanted but now it was all gone, cut to shreds by the demons very presence.

“Do you know where Sam is?” Ruby called out, just before Castiel stepped outside. He paused and turned around. “I mean, I’m just…” she waved her arms a little and avoided eye contact. Suddenly she looked just like any human girl interested in any human boy.

If only Castiel could be certain her interest was in Sam and not his blood.

“Why don’t you simply call him?”

Ruby’s shoulders twitched, as if she was about to shrug again but then she stopped herself. “He’s not picking up.”

Castiel believed he was very close to feeling amused.

“Yeah, okay.” She looked down at the floor. Castiel watched her, silent. Calculating. “I’m just you know…is he okay? That’s all I’m bothered about.”

“He’s fine.” _Considering._

“Okay, good. That’s good.” Ruby scuffed her boots on the floor and turned her face away from him, shoulders slumped. Castiel was curious despite himself. He knew that should be the end of it. But…

“Why are you helping them?” He stepped further into the church, and goosebumps raised on his vessel’s flesh, but he didn’t notice. “What do you hope to gain from your duplicity?”

“Who says I’m being _duplicite_?”

Castiel frowned. “You are a demon…”

“And that automatically equals bad?”

Castiel did smile then, one that escaped him before he could catch hold of it and draw it back. “Of course.”

“Says who? _God?_ Or his pissy management?” She looked genuinely angry and Castiel took a step back. Ridiculous, since he knows that she cannot hurt him, but her words are unsettling. “Who says I’m not doing this because I kinda like the way Earth is, okay. And I don’t want…do you have any idea what they did to me down in the Pit? I don’t want that happening up here. I don’t want Sam…” She stopped and turned away from him.

“You know I have been ordered not to hurt you.” It isn’t what he had been planning on telling her and he doesn’t even know if he’s allowed to tell her, doesn’t know what punishment he may face for letting her know the inner workings of the Host, even in so small a matter.

“They have?” Ruby asked. Her back was still to him, but she sounded…amused.

“Yes,” Castiel said warily.

Ruby turned around and yes, she is smiling. Her whole body’s stance has changed – now she is much more confident, the earlier swagger has now been replaced by something far more genuine, something far more dangerous.

“In that case, I gotta run. Things to do, people to screw.” She bounced past him and flinched as, with lightening reflexes, he grabbed her wrist and held her tight. She tugged a little, but it was useless. Eyes wide she stared up at him.

“I may have my orders,” Castiel hissed, wings a dangerous outline against the wall, “but that does not mean that I shall follow them.”

It’s an empty threat, _of course_ he shall do as he is told. But she does not know that. Indeed she looked momentarily cowed until he released her.

“Understood,” she said. And walked out of the church, her head held as high as she could manage.

Suddenly this game isn’t fun anymore.


End file.
